Ex-Adelaide woman Lisa Lines under 24/7 guard in juvenile ward of Palau prison
An ex-Adelaide woman facing extradition on attempted murder and conspiracy to murder charges has been “crying a lot” and giving jail staff her own money to buy food.
SA News
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Former Adelaide woman Lisa Lines is being held in isolation under 24/7 guard in a Pacific Island prison amid fears she poses a safety threat.
Ms Lines, 43, is awaiting extradition to South Australia on attempted murder and conspiracy to murder charges after she was arrested on Friday in the tiny pacific nation Palau.
She has been remanded in custody at Koror Jail after being charged over an alleged attempt to murder her former partner Jonathon Hawtin at Lightsview in January 2018 and an alleged plot to murder him between December 2019 and August 2022.
Palau prison bosses also say Ms Lines has been “crying a lot” and giving jail staff her own money to buy food because she doesn’t like what’s being served up.
Some of Ms Lines’ charges relate to an incident at Littlehampton in the Adelaide Hills in October 2017 during which Mr Hawtin – who was attacked with an axe to the back of the neck and head and became a tetraplegic as a result – was accused of shooting Ms Lines’ former lover Zacharia Josef Bruckner, 36, in the abdomen.
Mr Hawtin, 36, was charged with attempted murder but was acquitted of all charges, including aggravated causing serious harm with intent, in 2019.
A warrant was issued for Ms Lines’ arrest last August, after she went overseas following Mr Hawtin’s acquittal.
Mr Bruckner, 36, was arrested in Queensland last week and extradited to face charges of conspiracy to murder and attempted murder.
Palau Bureau of Public Safety acting director Rickley Antonio said Ms Lines was being held in the juvenile ward of Koror Jail so she could be constantly monitored.
“It’s a priority so we can keep a watch on her,” Mr Antonio told The Advertiser.
Mr Antonio said Australian authorities had asked for Ms Lines to be under guard because she was at risk of self harm.
“That’s one of the concerns we received,” he said.
“The first couple of days she was crying a lot.”
Mr Antonio said Ms Lines was being kept in a cell on her own for her own safety.
“We don’t want her to be in contact with other prisoners,” he said.
“We just want to keep her safe. We have officers looking after her 24/7.”
Ms Lines’ “small” cell contains a bed, “room to stretch”, bathroom facilities and a window about 45cmx45cm.
Palau Division of Corrections acting chief Melvin Ubedei said Ms Lines had given officers at Koror Jail cash to purchase her supplies because she didn’t like the prison’s food, which includes pancakes for breakfast.
“If she doesn’t want to eat the food here she buys her own food,” he said.
Mr Antonio said authorities would meet on Monday to discuss arranging Ms Lines’ extradition back to Australia to face the charges.
Mr Bruckner appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday afternoon wearing the same purple top he wore as he was marched through Adelaide Airport on Friday.
Mr Bruckner, who is yet to enter pleas to a charge of attempted murder and two counts of conspiracy to murder, was extradited from Brisbane after his arrest last Wednesday.
He appeared emotionless as his lawyer Andrew Moffa told the court his client was “not in a position at this stage to make an application for bail”.
“He’s an interstate resident, there’s no suitable address at this stage,” Mr Moffa said.
“That’s not to say that we won’t be making an application in the future.”
Prosecutor Timisha Ward asked the court for a charge determination hearing set for six months’ time.
Magistrate Ben Sale said he had read the facts of charge and understood there was “quite possibly a very large quantity of material that needs to be collated and provided to defence”.
Mr Moffa did not oppose the longer than usual adjournment period.
Ms Ward also sought a suppression order on “parts of the facts of charge” to “prevent prejudice to the investigation”.
Mr Sale made the order “out of an abundance of caution” but none of the details in the document were aired in court.
Mr Bruckner will return to court in May next year.
SA Police, which engaged the Australian Federal Police and overseas authorities to help execute Ms Lines’ arrest, could not provide a time frame on her extradition.
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